Michèle Jeanne Honorine Alliot-Marie, born 10 September 1946 and nicknamed MAM, is a French politician of the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP). Did you know that Michèle Alliot-Marie is popular at 43% of voters?? A member of all but one right-wing governments of the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, she was the first woman in France to hold the portfolios of Defense (2002–2007), the Interior (2007–2009) and Foreign Affairs (2010–2011). She has also been in charge of Youth and Sports (1993–1995) and Justice (2009–2010), and was granted the honorary rank of Minister of State in her last two offices.

She resigned in 2011 after nine years in government due to her position during the Tunisian revolution, and is currently Deputy (MP) for Pyrénées-Atlantiques and Deputy Mayor of Saint-Jean-de-Luz, as well as Vice President of the UMP.

Alliot-Marie was the last President of the Rally for the Republic (1999–2002), the last incarnation of the Gaullist party, and was the first woman to chair a major French political party. She has remained a leading Gaullist after the RPR merged into the UMP and was seen as a rival to Nicolas Sarkozy before and after his election as President in 2007, although direct confrontation was always avoided.

Alliot-Marie is a law and political science scholar. Her companion is Patrick Ollier, Minister in charge of Relations with Parliament in the Fillon II government; both were ministers simultaneously for a few months in 2010-2011, the first time a couple ever sat in a French government.

Political career

President of the RPR

In 1999, “MAM” entered the challenge for the presidency of the RPR against Chirac's candidate and, to most insiders' surprise, won by a landslide, becoming the first woman to lead a major French political party. She remained President of the party until 2002 when it merged with the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP), a merger she opposed at first.

Defense ministership

Alliot-Marie was Minister of Defense during Jacques Chirac’s second presidential term, France's first woman in this position. Between May and June 2002, she was also in charge of Veterans’ Affairs. Forbes magazine declared her the 57th most powerful woman in the world in 2006 and the 11th in 2007. She kept the Defense portfolio in Jean-Pierre Raffarin’s three governments and in Dominique de Villepin’s government. She remained a leading Gaullist after the RPR merger into the UMP, and created her own movement within the party, Le Chêne (The Oak). Although she publicly considered competing with Nicolas Sarkozy for the UMP nomination in the 2007 presidential election, she ruled herself out of the running in January 2007 and endorsed Sarkozy. Sarkozy and Alliot-Marie had a history of disagreements in the party’s National Council.

Interior and Justice ministerships

After Sarkozy’s election as President, Alliot-Marie was appointed Minister of the Interior, the Overseas and Local Communities in François Fillon's government, being the first woman to hold the position. Two years later, after the 2009 European Parliament election, she was appointed Minister of Justice and Liberties and Keeper of the Seals and was bestowed the title of Minister of State, which gave her the most senior rank in the government after the Prime Minister. She was made a Vice President of the UMP the same year.

Foreign Affairs ministership

In November 2010, Alliot-Marie was appointed Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, remaining Minister of State and being again the first female holder of the office. When civil unrest began in Tunisia in early 2011, Alliot-Marie came under scrutiny for going on vacation there during the events, as she had frequently done in the past. She further caused controversy when she told the National Assembly that French riot police could be offered to help restore order ; she was specifically criticised for allegedly sending teargas to Tunisia as late as January 2011. Her situation embarrassing the government, she resigned as Foreign Minister on 27 February 2011 after only a few months in of. ice. She was succeeded by outgoing Defense Minister and former Prime Minister Alain Juppé.

ElectionsMeter is not responsible for the content of the text. Please refer always to the author. Every text published on ElectionsMeter should include original name of the author and reference to the original source. Users are obliged to follow notice of copyright infringement. Please read carefully policy of the site.

If the text contains an error, incorrect information, you want to fix it, or even you would like to mange fully the content of the profile, please contact us. contact us..